The present invention generally relates to containers, particularly to containers for shipment of bulk products, and specifically to bulk shipment containers including liner bags located inside of a tote formed of inexpensive, lightweight material providing the necessary rigidity and compressive strength required for use and stacking.
During the manufacture of many products into their final commercialized form, it is often desired to temporarily store or transport partially manufactured products, components, or the like. Totes are often utilized to contain such products, components, or the like in bulk while allowing handling by forklifts, trucks, or the like. Especially when transported to other facilities, it is desired that the totes be formed of lightweight material. The use of lightweight material is important in minimizing the overall mass required to be handled and/or transported. Further, reduction in the mass and/or volume of the material forming the tote maximizes the total volume for holding products, components, or the like while reducing the amount of material requiring disposal. Additionally, the reduction in the amount of material required to form the tote typically translates into reduction in costs. However, the tote must provide the necessary rigidity and compressive strength required for use and stacking. An example of a tote that meets these criteria and which can be utilized for this purpose is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,998.
Double-wall corrugated board has been one material from which totes have been manufactured. Especially when utilized for food products, plastic liner bags are placed inside of the tote for receiving the product and protecting the product during storage and shipment. Currently, liner bags which are commercially available for bulk shipment totes include internal bottom gussets. When liner bags of the industry standard design are utilized, significant amounts of product are trapped in folds and crevices in the liner bag especially at the bottom of the liner bag which abuts with the bottom panel of the tote, with such trapped product having a tendency of remaining in the liner when the bulk shipment container is dumped at the desired processing location. Thus, significant costs are incurred due to the additional manual effort required to attempt to obtain access for removal of the trapped product and due to product which is lost to production as well as disposal expenses for such lost product. Additionally, the presence of trapped product in the liner bag after use severely hampers and can eliminate the ability to recycle the liner bag itself at the end of its useful life.
Although containers of other designs are commercially available, such commercially available containers have various deficiencies so as not to lend themselves for bulk shipment. In particular, such deficiencies include but are not limited to being of a size which is not practical for bulk shipment, including outlet spouts at the lower portion of the container, including fill openings of a significantly reduced size, being of a collapsible design which does not provide the necessary rigidity and compressive strength for stacking and use, and the like.
Thus, a need continues to exist for improved totes which overcome the many disadvantages and shortcomings of existing bulk shipment container designs. Specifically, a need exists for bulk shipment containers formed of lightweight, planar material able to retain its planar shape in an unfilled condition, which can be easily filled and dumped, and which can be otherwise utilized as conventional bulk shipment containers but which eliminate or substantially minimize trapping of product in the liner bag which would not be readily accessible or available when the product is desired to be removed from the bulk shipment containers.